UNI’s Bowen Born

Panther Guard Describes His Team

(St. Louis, MO) – UNI’s Bowen Born believes the Panthers are ready for a big season. Blue Ribbon Almanac has picked Northern Iowa as the Missouri Valley Conference favorite. UNI returns virtually every player from last year’s 14-18 team and coach Ben Jacobson has added some key components.

After a highly decorated prep career, Born has enjoyed a very unique and successful college carer. The 2021 Mr. Iowa Basketball burst on to the Valley scene and was named the MVC’s ‘Freshman of the Year’. He accomplished those accolades during star A.J. Green’s missed 2021 season (injury). Green returned the following season and Born was forced to the bench.

The 5’10 Norwalk, Iowa native went about his business and earned the Valley’s ‘Sixth Man Award’. After Green entered the NBA draft, Born was back in last year’s starting lineup and begins his fourth (junior) season as the league’s second leading returning scorer (17.9 ppg).

Foreign Trip & the Head Coach

The Panthers recently returned from a summer playing trip to Spain. UNI won three of their four contests and experienced Spanish culture and extensive basketball work. Born says team members enjoyed the experience and players had the opportunity to gain extensive playing time.

Seeing both prosperity and poverty in the same city opened Born’s eyes and gave him some time of reflection.

 

 

Ben Jacobson’s team returns four starters and 11 players overall. The ‘Dean’ of the Valley coaches heads into is 18th season and is searching for his fifth conference title. While Born appreciates his head coach’s ability to produce winning teams, he says Jacobson’s relational abilities are even more impressive.

 

 

UNI’s Bowen Born Evaluates the Panther Roster

Born’s father (Mike) was a player at Iowa State and has been a long-term NBA scout. His grandfather (Gene Klinge) is one of the winningest high school girls’ basketball coaches in Iowa history. When you ask him about his teammates he sounds more like a coach than a teammate.

Starters Tytan Anderson, Michael Duax and Trey Campbell return along with former starter Nate Heise and ‘all-bench team’ member Landon Wolf. Other veterans include Cole Henry, Chase Courbat and Drew Daniel. Loyola Chicago transfer Jacob Hutson figures prominently in UNI’s plans.

Born lives with Daniel, Anderson and Heise. He tells us both Anderson and Heise have taken their offseason workouts to a very high level.

 

 

Duax and Wolf were 2021-22 redshirts and burst on to the scene last season as a pair of twin, impact players. The 6’5 Duax was named to the all-freshman team and Wolf to the all-bench squad. Each player’s father was a UNI football player and now they share similar positions on the Panther basketball court. The athletic Duax turned heads with some spectacular dunks and Wolf was a reliable three-point shooter.

Born says he expects the two Iowa natives to continue to grow and contribute. Duax is working on his long range shooting and Born expects him to become an outside threat. With the return of Heise and the inclusion of Hutson, Born believes the two sophomores can fit more into their ‘natural’ roles.

 

 

The Newcomers

Hutson is a perfect fit for this team. Jacobson recruited the Minnesota native while he was in high school, but the 6’11 center went to Loyola. When Hutson hit the portal, Born was sure the Panther coaching staff would pursue ‘the one that got away’.

UNI’s Bowen Born says Hutson fits like a glove.

 

 

Highly rated rookies Wes Rubin, R.J. Taylor and Kyle Pock should add a spark to an already solid Panther roster. UNI is the one Valley team that hasn’t published its full non-conference schedule, but the Panthers are participating in the Battle 4 Atlantis where they will play North Carolina and two other ‘power 5’ teams. Arkansas, Memphis, Michigan, Texas, Texas Tech and Villanova fill out the field.

Early prognostications have the Panthers finishing high in the Valley race. The “Blue Ribbon Yearbook” calls them a favorite to win the regular season title, while the “The Almanac” picks them third.

You can catch our entire conversation with UNI’s Bowen Born on the Valley Hoops Insider Podcast.

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